Evergreen Park won its first regional championship in 50 years last season with a senior-heavy team. The only returning players are Keshaun Vaval and Lonnie Mosley.
The Mustangs (8-13, 2-5 South Suburban Red) have dropped eight of 10, but coach Jim Sexton is not feeling discouraged quite yet.
“We are mostly juniors and two freshmen,” Sexton said. “It has been a year of ups and downs, but we are hoping to play our best down the stretch.”
Sexton has seen his players compete but would like to see more consistency. They have only won back-to-back games once this season.
“This year’s group has shown fight and hustle,” Sexton said. “We’re too inconsistent. We have great quarters and awful quarters.”
Vaval and Mosley, both senior guards, have led the way. Vaval had a team-high 24 points against Oak Lawn and Mosley scored 18.
One underrated addition to the Mustangs is Westinghouse transfer Arshawn Powell. The senior is a multi-sport athlete and is headed to Southern Illinois on a football scholarship in the fall.
“He brings us a toughness and intangibles especially on the defensive end,” Sexton said.
Most games, Powell will not be the leading scorer but he’s determined to contribute elsewhere on the court. He scored just six points in the loss but grabbed five boards and had a steal.
He scored a team-high 20 points in a loss to Perspectives-MSA on Jan. 25.